Virality and Morphogenesis of Right Wing Internet Populism

Information and its individual interpretations are highly discussed in social media. Their use and misuse is an important subject for cultural and media studies. The theoretical framework of this volume is based on a synopsis of socio-constructivist and semiotic paradigms, which permit insight into ongoing adjustments of the social perception of reality and the thereby changing benchmarks. The assembled micro-studies concentrate primarily on right-wing Internet populism in Germany, France and Italy and allow a more precise idea of the effects the disseminated myths, metaphors and memes can have: Becoming viral, they can have an influence on a society’s semiosphere, i.e.on common sense and social life.

Eva Kimminich is Professor of Cultural Studies and Cultural Semiotics at the University of Potsdam. She is the chief editor of Welt – Körper – Sprache. Julius Erdmann is a PhD student in Cultural Studies and Philosophy at the University of Potsdam and the University of Paris, Paris 8. Amir Dizdarevi? is finishing his Master degree in Linguistics in Potsdam.